Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 27, 2019

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Accounts Receivable [Table Text Block]

Receivables represent customer, private and public institutional and government billings (colleges, universities and other financial aid providers), credit/debit card receivables, advances for book buybacks, advertising and other receivables due within one year. Components of accounts receivables are as follows:

	As of
	April 27, 2019		April 28, 2018
Trade accounts	$	74,311	$	67,634
Advances for book buybacks	6,339		9,554
Credit/debit card receivables	4,173		3,824
Other receivables	13,423		19,048
Total receivables, net	$	98,246	$	100,060

Property and Equipment [Table Text Block]

Components of property and equipment are as follows:

		As of
	Useful Life	April 27, 2019		April 28, 2018
Property and equipment:
Leasehold improvements	(a)	$	148,015	$	148,413
Machinery, equipment and display fixtures	3 - 5	240,171		237,823
Computer hardware and capitalized software costs	(b)	136,267		123,575
Office furniture and other	2 - 7	59,327		54,477
Content development costs	3 - 5	11,593		514
Construction in progress		5,499		6,546
Total property and equipment		600,872		571,348
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		491,095		460,061
Total property and equipment, net		$	109,777	$	111,287

(a) Leasehold improvements are capitalized and depreciated over the shorter of the lease term or the useful life of the improvements, ranging from one to 15 years.

(b) System costs are capitalized and amortized over their estimated useful lives, from the date the systems become operational. Purchased software is generally amortized over a period of between 2 - 5 years.